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17/1/2005

The 21st Century Odyssey II

Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont

The Performances of Barbara T. Smith

Barbara T. Smith is one of the pioneers of performance and body art in Southern California. With artists such as Nancy Buchanan, Chris Burden, Allan Kaprow, Suzanne Lacy, and Paul McCarthy, Smith redefined the nature of art by creating durational performances in which she used her own body as a vehicle for art, often at some personal risk. Prior to the founding of the Woman's Building in 1973 (or even the Feminist Arts Program in 1971), Smith was foregrounding her own corporeal and gendered experience in experimental performances such as Feed Me and Ritual Meal. In several of these performances, most notably The 21st Century Odyssey, Smith embarked upon a journey/quest for spiritual transformation, thus reinscribing the tourist landscape. Her lifelong commitment to alternative spirituality, as in Celebration of the Holy Squash, anticipated the work of many contemporary artists who incorporate spiritual practices into art making. This exhibition is the first retrospective devoted to the work of Barbara T. Smith (Pomona College ’53) and is accompanied by the first major scholarly catalogue devoted to her.

The exhibition, co-curated by Rebecca McGrew and art historian Jennie Klein, will include photographs, videotapes, ephemera, and other performance relics by Smith beginning with Ritual Meal (1969). It covers over two decades of Smith's work, including pivotal performances such as Celebration of the Holy Squash (1971), Feed Me (1973), Birthdaze (1981), and The 21st Century Odyssey (1991-1993). The exhibition catalogue places Smith's work in an art historical context, particularly in regard to body art, feminism, and performance art. Essayists include Jennie Klein, Moira Roth, Jenni Sorkin, Kristine Stiles, and Barbara T. Smith.

Pomona College - Pomona College Museum of Art - 330 North College Way - Claremont, CA 91711

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